Field-fencing.



DB0. SMITH.

FIELD PENGING. I APPLICATION IILBD IEB.13, 1903-. l

Patented Dgc. S, 1908.

2 SHEETB SHEET .1.

DLC'. SMIT HP FIELD FENCING. 'urmcumx nun gnu. 13, 1903.

Patented Dec. 3; 1908.-

a satin-snug;

5%b Mn DATUS C. SMITH, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

FIELD-FENCING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Application filed February 13, 1908. Serial No. 415,707.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DATUS 0. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Field-Fencing; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to manufactured wire fencing intended for fields or pastures and more particularly such widths of the same as are designed to be used in connection with supplementary barb wires strung above the fencing when it is erected on the fence posts.

The purpose of my improvement is to enhance the value of such fencing by incorporating in the manufactured roduct convenient means for binding suc barb wires together and to the fabric fencing and thereby increasing the efficiency of the completed fence.

Woven wire or fabric fencing, of which there are several styles or constructions in the class above referred to, is manufactured in widths ranging commonly from twenty six to forty-five inches, the same being respectively less, as a general rule, than the heights of various field fences made therefrom and used for restraining difierent species of live stock. Such fencin is used a most universally in connection with barb wires placed on top or running above the fabric and completing the height of the fence. Occasionally such fencing is used alone for small pastures for sheep and swine, but probably ninety percentum of fabric fencing in the widths mentioned is used in connection with barb wires as stated. This form of fence, that is a combination offabric fencing and complementary barb wires, embracing approximately seventy-five er cent. of all fabric fencing made, is adopte for the sake of economy, since it diminishes the width of the more expensive manufactured product, while yet bringing the fence to the requisite height. A fence constructed wholly of woven wire or fabric fencing cannot be permanently kept in good condition at a less eight than about sixty inches from the ground. Otherwise it is ridden down and injured by horses leaning over its smooth top to browse outside the pasture. i

As a general rule, the barb wires are run wholly independently of the main fencing; that is they are not attached to the latter 1n any way. The result is that the barb wires, belng unsu ported between the fence posts,

are more exible than they should be, and

moreover, on account of the tendency of the stock to crowd these wires apart, they must necessarily beplaced closer together to obtain the same restraining effect than if bound together and to the fabric fencing. This closer spacing of the barb wires adds to the cost of the fence, yet does not, at best, give the stability desired.

The ex edient of binding the barb wires to the su jacent fencing is rarely resorted to, because it has hitherto entailed the trouble and expense of preparing or buying separate stays or wire sections and attaching them to the fencing preliminary to connecting them to the complementary fence wires. The cost of purchasing such special stays, handling and trans orting, including manufacturers and dealhrs profits; or, where home-made binders are provided, the trouble and expense of procuring the Wire, especially the more desirable hard-drawn w1re which is seldom carried by dealers, and straightenin and cutting the same into accounting or rofits and labor from the lengths; with al the separate handlings and original coil of plain w1re to the time when the separate blnders are attached on the fencing, are sufficient considerations to dissuade the average farmer from the undertaking.

In view of the foregoing, I have devised the improved product of manufacture herein set forth, which consists of a woven wire or fabric fencing made with flexible binders as a com onent part thereof such binders being space at suitable intervals and extending from the top of the fencing for sufficient lengths for attachment to the complementary barb wires which are to be subsequently strung above the fencing when erected on the fence posts. The im ortant economical result is thereby attained of eliminating all the various expenses of production and handling, intermediary profits, and labor of installation, incident to the use of detached wire binders besides further advantages presently to be considered.

The flexible binders of the new product above mentioned may consist'of extensions,

or continuations of some of the stays or cross-wires that go to make up the fencing. This would be particularly so with that large class -of fabric fencing in which each stay consists of a single wire extending across and joined to all the strands. Where the stays consist of short wire sections connecting adjacent strands, the binders may advantageously be applied as separate sections joined to the top strand coincidently with and virtually constituting continuations of the stays. Or the binders may be independently attached to the top strand of the fencing.

The fencing is or may be supplied in the usual form of rolls, with its flexible binders folded back upon the fabric to make com pact bundles for storage, shipment and transfer. They may also, in some cases, be simply folded upon the top of the roll, especially where the binders are short. When the fencing is unrolled in the field and erected upon the fence posts, with its readymade binders thus already attached, spaced at regular and roper intervals, in: position for applying to t e subsequently strung barb wires, it is merely necessary to straighten up the binders and join them to the barb wires by the usual method of coiling or twisting; though the binders may be otherwise joined to the barb wires, as by means of small clamps for example in this case the flexibility required being only at the joint of the binder to the fabric.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification: Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a sectionof one style of fabric fencing provided with flexible binders in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 shows in perspective a roll of said fencing, with the flexible bindersfolded back u on the fabric and within the roll. Fig. 3 s ows in elevation an erected. field fence made of the aforesaid fabric fencing and complementary barb wires, which are bound together and to the fabric fencing by the said flexible binders thus illustrating the use of my improvement. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are fragmentary views, on a lar er scale, of sections of several different styles of fabric fencing made with said flexible binders attached in different ways.

a and 5 denote respectively the longitudinal strands and cross wires composing the manufactured fencing; c the flexible binders or binding wires made as a component part of the fencing; d the barb wires which are strung above the erected fencing; and e the fence-posts.

The. diagrammatic Figs. 1 to 3 may be taken to represent any of various well known styles of fencing. For example, they may represent a fencing wherein the stays, each consisting of a single length of wire, extend across and are joined by coils, wraps or otherwise to all the strands; and in this case the binders 0 preferably consist of extensions or continuations of some of the stays, at regular intervals of desirably three or more feet other hand, said Figs. 1 to 3 may represent a fencing wherein the individual stays, although practically continuous across the strands, are composed of segments or separate pieces arranged end to end and respectively connecting adjacent strands and in this case the binders 0, consisting. of other segments of the same sort added to some of the stays and joined coincidently therewith to the top strand, may also be considered as virtually extensions or prolongations of the stays with which they are connected. As the fencing is made in the loom, these binders are or may be formed by providing at every third or other determined stay an independent feeding of a suitable length of wire.

The last described style of fencing, which is in extensive use and a desirable form for the purposes of my invention, is represented more c early in Fig. 4, showing a hinged binder or binding wire attached as a separate piece to the top strand, but secured with and substantially as a unitary part of the stay. This may advantageously be done in the fence-making machine by simultaneously coiling around the top strand the extremities of the binder wire and the adjacent stay wire, by means of the same coiling pin the binder wire being desirably placed across the strands along side of the stay as the two extremities are thus attached, leaving the binder to be bent up above the top strand afterward.

Fig. 5 shows another style of fencing, known commonly as woven wire fencing, in which a hinged binder is attached as an independent piece to the top strand; while in Fig. 8, showing a fencing having its stays joined by clamps to the strands, the binders are made by continuing or extending the upper portions of some of the stays.

Figs. 6 and 7 show Wire fabric fencings having electrically welded stays. In Fig. 6, the stay is prolonged above the fencing to provide the flexible binder while in Fig. 7 the binder consists of a separate length of wire also electrically welded to the top strand. In this case, the binder is shown attached so as to extend. normally downward or across the fabric, instead of upward, being more conveniently formed in this manner during the manufacture of the fencing. Such a binder would need to be bent upward when ibrought into use, as indicated by dotted mes.

As the manufactured fabric passes through i or comes from the machine, ready to be reeled into rolls or bundles, the extended my improved fencinginconnection with barb binders (unless made as in Fig. 7) are bent wire lies in affording much greater safety to downward and folded back upon the fabric, the stock. As the barb wlres are now aras previously mentioned and as indicated in ranged, that is without being bound together, Fig. 2, making a com act bundle and avoidwhenever one of the barb wires breaks, as ing the extra space t at would be required will sometimes happen, the longer end falls for storage and shipment if the binder wires to the ground, an the stock, particularly were allowed to extend from the end. of the horses, often get their feet engaged in it and roll; while also avoiding the expensive extra are seriously injured. So serious is this obwidth of machine that would be required jection that some farmers will not permit any to accommodate projecting binders. The barb wire to be used on their farms, even in mode of folding back the binders upon the connection with fabric fencing. But with fabric is immaterial, whether the binders be the use of the binders provided in my imcarried straight across or diagonally, proproved fencing, whenever a barb wire vided a compact roll of usual height be robreaks the end will be at most not over two vided. Or the binders may advantageously or three feet in length and cannot drag on the be drifted back substantially parallel with ground and engage the feet of stock runnin the top strand of the fencing and just below along the fence. Also the broken wire wil that strand. This may be and is preferably be held in place so there will not be a large done automatically as the fencing is made in breach in the fence through which stock the loom or other machine. But where the may escape. binders are attached as so arate pieces, it is Such modifications as attaching the bindmore practicable to a p y them already ers to a lower strand than the top strand of lying upon or across t e strands, as prethe fencing, or to the stays, are intended to viously mentioned in connection with the debe included within the scope of this invenscription of Fig. 4. tion.

In the use of my im roved fencing, after I claim as my invention and desire to se it is erected and the bar wires are strung on I cure by Letters Patent: the posts in the usual manner, the flexible 1. As a new article, manufactured wire binders are straightened u and wound or fencing provided with flexible binders made coiled about the successive barb wires, from as a com onent art of such fencing and the bottom one up, as indicated in Fig. 4. adapted 'or binding supplementary fence While some wires are so flexible as to ermit wires when the fencing is erected. doing this by hand, as a rule it would fie nec- 2. As a new article, manufactured wire essary or at least expedient to use some simfencing consisting of longitudinal strands ple tool. The binder is simply given a comand cross stays composed of wire se ments pact turn or two around each of the barb or sections connecting respectively a jacent wires, being deflected between the fence strands, and binders consisting of other segwires as it is carried around, as indicated in i ments added to some of the stays adapted to Fig. 4 which is permitted by the flexibility extend above the fencing when erected. of the binder wire. 3. As a new article, manufactured wire Considering the fence as a whole, inasmuch I fencing made with binders for attachment of as a more eflicient fence is obtained, the l supplementary fence wires, said binders posts may naturally be placed further a art, I adapted to lie folded upon the fencing but which is an important economical consi eraadapted to be lifted up to extend above the tion in view of the growin scarcity of timi fencing when erected. her. For erecting wire fleld fencing, the l 4. As anew article, a roll or bale of manuspacing between fence posts as recommended factured wire fencing having flexible binders by manufacturers is from one to two rods acfor attachment of supplementary fence cording to circumstances. Where the posts wires, said binders bein arranged to avoid are spaced at distances of about two rods, 1 projection from the roll but adapted to be intermediate shorter or lighter posts are freextended above the fencing when unrolled. quently resorted to in order to hold up the I In testimony whereof I affix my signature, fabric fencing from swaying between the in presence of two witnesses.

posts. This necessity is obviated by use of DATUS 0. SMITH. the flexible binders provided in my im- Witnesses: proved product. GROEOE M. TOWN,

Another valuable result from the use of M. ELIZABETH HAMMOND. 

